Friends,

I was watching BBC news this weekend http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2027079.stm and a severe drought is causing famine conditions in southern Africa.

Whatever the reason, drought, aids or poor governance these people need help now. We need to act now.

Why this concerns me is that it's happening in a traditionally arable part of Africa, southern Africa. The breadbasket of Africa. Countries that could stand on their own before are in dire straights. It's a domino effect that it gathering momentum.

Please help get the word out and raise awareness. This is a catastrophe in the making that needs our attention now.

Thanks,
Neal

 

Angola: The medical relief organisation Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) estimates that at least 1.5 million people are suffering from acute malnutrition. The crisis is seen as the direct result of drought, the long civil war and strategies followed by the government and the rebels, which led to an exodus of people from rural areas to the towns.

Ethiopia: There have been warnings of drought and impending famine for several months, but now the situation is reaching crisis level. The failure of two successive rainy seasons and the resulting food shortfall mean that six million people are already in dire need of assistance.

Lesotho: It has been another poor harvest in this tiny, mountainous country following a second year of severe weather: heavy rainfall, frost, hailstorms and tornadoes.

Malawi: President Bakili Muluzi declared a state of emergency in February. This is one of the worst affected countries and hundreds of people have already died. Hundreds have already died in Malawi. Relief agencies estimate that 3.2 million people are now threatened by famine.

Mauritania: In West Africa, Mauritania is facing severe food shortages after six poor harvests in a row.

Mozambique: After two years of devastating floods, a prolonged drought is said to have affected an area of 90,000 hectares and about 100,000 households.

Swaziland: Erratic weather for a second consecutive year is being blamed for food shortages. According to the UN agencies, production is 18% down on last year's already poor harvest.

Zambia: The Zambian Government has declared the country's food shortage a national disaster. Severe drought has caused total crop failure in the south of the country.

Zimbabwe: In September, the Southern African Development Community Regional Early Warning Unit said that Zimbabwe needed more food aid than any other country in the region facing famine. It is estimated that six million people - half the population - are in need of food aid following the combination of poor rains and the adverse effects of the seizure of most white-owned farms.